Watery Moons Fire Up the Imagination!

Ganymede, the largest moon in our solar system, appears to have a vast subsurface ocean - so large that it might rival the oceans of Earth. However, being insulated from the cold of space, and being warmed by the moon's core, it is likely that water on Ganymede is very very hot. Ganymede orbits Jupiter.

Enceladus, a moon of Saturn, has hydrothermal vents - sending water and steam shooting up out of the moon's surface. Until now, only our Earth had been observed to have such venting.

"Follow the Plume"

Mars might also have water, but so far it is hard to tell how much. So where will we most likely find life, outside of Earth? A big factor is temperature. If an ocean is completely sealed from space, it is likely to be very hot and thus unlikely to find much life. One scientist says that the plumes of the hydrothermal vent on Enceladus seem the most promising - its water, and we have access to it. On Ganymede, the shell covering the oceans there is up to 100 miles thick so access would be very very difficult.

Europa is also an interesting moon, and appears to have liquid water.

The warmth discovered in these moons also upends the old assumption that most energy comes from our Sun; that is clearly not the case. On Earth we have plants that use Chemosynthesis, instead of Photosynthesis for energy; so it does not appear that a Star is needed for a planetary body to evolve life.

Water in Our Solar System - How Much?

Currently there are 12 Planetary bodies that appear to have water, in our solar system. The number will only go up. Which one's will have life?